Extract e-mail adresses from Directory

[linkinspectors]

My directory has over 8000 links submitted. I want to mass email to all those subscribers.
Is there any way I can extract those e-mail addresses into a text file or something so that I can use a mass mailer program to market to them?

I have a dummy account set up with gmail that sends me a confirmation for every link submitted...but I don't know how to get them into a text file.

Just purchased site and really new to directory ownership.

Thanks for any help.

[bruleo]

You can just use a query in the database to extract to a text file. However, you would be spamming, so I for one am not going to post how to do it.

A person submitting a link or even registering is NOT a subscriber, unless you have specifically said to submitters that they are opting into an email list when they submitted or registered, then you will actually be breaking a great many regulations, which vary from country to country. Many countries also require that it is also a double-opt-in (or COI) list, meaning that they hould have to confirm an subscription as well.

Also, most hosts have a limit on the amount of emails that can be sent out daily and if you start to mass email 8000 addresses, you are VERY likely to get your hosting account closed and in some circumstances your ISP can also limit or close your connection.

I for one would certainly not want to receieve junk from directories I submitted to and would (and have done) complain to your host and/or ISP. It only takes a single complaint for them to look nto the matter and get you closed down.

Bruce.

[linkinspectors]

OK. Thanks Bruce. I was thinking to just mail once to the submitters as a "thank you" for submitting to my directory- and in it offer them an opt-in to a free traffic strategies newsletter or tips etc. or something like that.

If they opt in they would then be on my list. Any thoughts on that idea? I will certainly not blatantly spam them though. Thanks for the warning!

[bruleo]

Technically, sending even a single email out to someone without their express approval would be considered unsolicited.

However, when a user submits they should be receiving a confirmation and an approval or rejection email anyway, so what you are wanting to do is available without needing to do anything extra, other than edit your existing templates.

The problem is that laws vary wildly from place to place and punishments vary also, from warnings to imprisonment. The safest bet is to always have a privacy policy outlining when users are likely to receieve site generated emails and if you are wanting to send out marketing or newsletters, provide an additional double-opt-in system, specifically for that purpose. That should be good enough for all eventualities. Also, with any newsletter system, many laws also require that you should provide a user with a means to unsubscribe at any time. Again, the exact requirements vary from country to country, but usually an opt-out link at the bottom of your emails should suffice.

Incidentally, I do have a mod that provides a double-opt-in (and opt-out) newsletter system but would only be for newly registered users, not any that are already registered.

Bruce.

[linkinspectors]

Great, that mod would be what I need. Where can I get it and what is the cost if any, and is it hard to install...if so what's the install fee as well.


Thanks!

[bruleo]

http://www.phplinkdirectory.com/forum/showthread.php?t=32722 :)

[linkinspectors]

Thanks...will purchase a couple of Mods that I like ASAP. Great info on helping me get set up the way I want.

[Drunk Manager]

Technically you are legally allowed to email people who have submitted under the CANSPAM act. They have made an approach to you so allowing you email them with a remove link working and your address etc at the bottom of the page you would not be breaking the law.

You can use the software which is free PHP List.

[James]

Content visible to registered users only.

and you will be blacklisted and depending on the host booted from the server.


Legal does not equate Ethical.

I operate in the ethical portion of it.

Had to add that canspam is US only.... tread carefully sending to people outside of the states

[bruleo]

.... and since the CAN-SPAM act applies only to the US and most directories are international and often covered by much stricter and more heavily inforced laws.

Edit.... Just saw your addition James. Great minds think alike.

Bruce.

[Drunk Manager]

OK then why can you add links and enter the persons email address and notify them that you have added their link which is an inbuilt feature? That must be must worse. They have not asked to have their link added and you have emailed them.

[James]

Not going to debate this thing that has been debated for years.

Feel free to email whomever you want.
I am just pointing out that you will end up blacklisted and depending on the host get the boot.

It takes just one nicely worded email to get you blacklisted and there are plenty of people who will do it.

[Drunk Manager]

Blacklisted from where?

[James]

http://tinyurl.com/3xedf7c


:) my favorite site so do not take offense

[Drunk Manager]

Content visible to registered users only.


If someone ended up listed on there for sending out a few hundred emails to people who had submitted sites to them with some type of newsletter then I would be surprised.

I was also lose all faith in those spam lists.

[James]

You really need to read up on them and realize the ramifications.
I have had fools listed for one email.
Hosts then spend time to get the IP unbanned and after 3 times they lists will refuse to unlist them.

I run a hosting company and have worked for some of the largest ones in the states so I know exactly what I am talking about.

However I will not convince you of it so I am going to bow out of this converstation and we can revisit it once you
A. get blacklisted.
B. send an email to an user in a country that has just had it with unsolicted email and files a complaint with the governing body of their country and you end up in a whirlwind of emails/phone calls and booted from the server
C. Experience the glorious mail bombing because the user runs with the /b/ crowd and they just love to do those things.

I do understand where you are coming from but want to make sure that any discussion on this site also has the harsh realities of what can happen.

[Drunk Manager]

It is not unsolicited if the person has submitted there site to your link list.

One you are doing them a favour by sending them traffic.

[Drunk Manager]

OK yes if the person spams the daylights out of them then I agree, or if they sell the email list on.

Just to send a newsletter to webmasters who are listed in your links list is not unreasonable.

[Drunk Manager]

OK I can see that you are trying to stop PHP Link Directory being used to gather webmasters email addresses like the old free for all links lists where people would set up a links list make everyone confirm their emails and then sell the lists on which I agree should end up with a black listing.

Just a monthly webmaster newsletter? I think it should be encouraged as then you can get the most out of your site.

[David]

In recent times, anti-spam at the server and isp level is quite strong. I'll tell you what happened to us at one point...

Often email addresses that are used in submittal either are not valid in the first place or become invalid over time. When as isp gets a few emails from the same source that are invalid, the first thing they will do is put a temporary hold on accepting any more. If the activity continues, they will do something more permanent, and auto-blacklist the email. We send emails far less than once per month, but we did have some problems with non-delivery for the reasons outlined above. This is now solved.

What we are not here at phpLD is experts at email delivery of lists. This is tricky stuff, and a wrong move can cause issues. It's one thing to grab a list and then work with a company that specializes in delivery such as Constant Contact, but quite another to attempt to duplicate what they do.

I'm not going to tell people not to mass email, but at this point I don't feel phpLD is ready to encourage this activity either. That said, we have set the stage for creating methods to stay in contact with users, which you will see later in the year.

Meanwhile, if you feel you understand the laws and possible problems that could result with ISPs, then I would encourage you to pursue your goals. We just don't feel we are ready to tell every phpLD user to mass email all their users. Finally, if someone wants to work with someone like Bruleo or our dev team or even their own programmer to do something like this, that is fine (assuming you have studied the possible problems that can result).

[bruleo]

I will also add that much of this goes way beyond spam. For example, in the UK there is the Data Protection Act, one of the fundamental principles is that any stored Data should only be used for the purpose for which it was originally requested/intended. Therefore, an email address given for the purpose of identifying the ownership of a user's submission cannot be used for sending out marketing emails, UNLESS a statement to the is made to the fact. These data protection laws work in conjunction with antispam rules and regulations and they are not mutually exclusive, meaning that while sending out a marketing email in itself may not be against any antispam laws, you may be breaking funtamental Data-protection laws by using the data you hold in the forst place.

Many EU member states carry similar data-protection laws and often, the consequences of breaking these can carry heavy fines and in some circumtances, imprisonment. Infringements are taken very seriously and any complaints are usually dealt with, and followed up by governmental departments who's sole role is the abuse of user data and they will use the full force of the legal systems available to them.

Going back to spam, I would certainly complain to an ISP or Host of a site (directory or otherwise) sent me emails that were not connected with my listing and were for the sole purpose of marketing some other product or service. In fact, I have done several times and on at least one occassion got confirmation from a host that the site had been removed from their servers after investigation of my complaint.

I also know of one person that had their internet service withdrawn (without refund) when they sent out about 2000 emails in a day from Outlook connected to their website account.

Bruce.